80 children without parental care have now a more welcoming home to enjoy their childhood

The houses from SOS Children’s Villages Bucharest have been rehabilitated and energetic streamlined

80 children that are in the care of the organization SOS Children’s Villages Romania, Bucharest program, have now a better home to learn and enjoy childhood. The 12 houses where they are living with the foster mothers have been rehabilitated and energetic streamlined, by the program Everything Begins at home.

During the two years project, the following developments have been made: heat insulation for houses and attics, roofs, doors and windows replacement and heating stations changing. The class of energy performance for the 12 houses has been substantially improved, which means smaller utilities costs. GDF SUEZ Energy Romania (which recently adopted the commercial brand ENGIE) and GDF SUEZ Foundation have invested 350,000 euro and involved more than 100 employees in the rehabilitation working.

“We are happy that we were able to support this social project in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages and Habitat for Humanity, the energetic efficiency being a primary concern for our company. The project is in line with our social responsibility direction of supporting the vulnerable categories and encouraging the measures of energetic efficiency within consumers of natural gases. Furthermore I am proud of the mobilization of our colleagues that responded enthusiastically every time to the volunteering calls and directly involved in the success of the program”, said Eric Stab, CEO GDF SUEZ Energy Romania.

“I am glad that together with our partner GDF SUEZ Energy Romania we managed to offer a warmer home to the children of SOS Children’s Villages Bucharest. I would like to thank to all volunteers and companies that believed in this project and worked at the rehabilitation of the 12 houses for 80 children that are living here”, said Mario DeMezzo, National Director Habitat for Humanity Romania.

„For our organization this project meant a lot. On one hand, the quality of life for both the children we foster and mothers that live with them in the rehabilitated houses have considerably increased. On the other hand, as a result of the actions of energetic efficiency, the costs of utilities have decreased. Being 12 houses, the efforts with the maintenance were huge. We appreciate and thank to everyone that worked here during the past two years. We would like to thank GDF SUEZ Energy Romania, GDF SUEZ Foundation and Habitat for Humanity Romania for their involvement in the life of these children. Their actions will have a long term impact and this aspect is priceless for all of us at SOS”, added Diana Podaru, Branch Director, SOS Children’s Villages Bucharest.

400 volunteers from 15 countries (USA, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Italy, United Arab Emirates etc.) from international network Habitat for Humanity have been working more than 20,000 hours to the rehabilitation of the houses. “Everything Begins at home.” won the award Year’s volunteering project in social area.

The total cost of the project was 450,000 euro, whereof 350,000 euro represents the financial support from GDF SUEZ Energy Romania and GDF SUEZ Foundation and 100,000 euro are the contribution of Habitat for Humanity Romania.

About GDF SUEZ Energy Romania

The ENGIE group (former GDF SUEZ) is active in Romania in three main areas: gas, electricity and energy services. GDF SUEZ Energy Romania, that recently adopted the commercial brand ENGIE, is the main subsidiary of the Group ENGIE Romania. It owns the companies: Distrigaz Sud Retele, Distrigaz Confort, Alizeu Eolian and Braila Winds.

The company is activating in the following fields: distribution and supply of natural gases, electricity supply, technical services for natural gas installations and heating stations and electricity production. GDF SUEZ Energy Romania and its subsidiaries serve more than 1.5 million customers, operate 18.500 km of networks, owe two wind farms with a capacity of 100 MW and employ around 3.650 people. www.engie.ro

About Habitat for Humanity Romania

Habitat for Humanity is a non-governmental organization present in 70 countries with the mission to eradicate substandard housing. Habitat for Humanity Romania builds, rehabilitates, advises, offers technical assistance, develop programs of energetic efficiency and training on disaster prevention for vulnerable groups. During its 18 years in Romania, it helped more than 36.000 people to have better living conditions. www.habitat.ro.

SOS Children’s Villages Romania’s mission is to help children to learn in a familial environment for their healthy development. In SOS villages, the little ones are raised by an SOS mother, who takes care of 5-7 children.

For almost 25 years, the organization fights to change the future of Romania children, through counseling and support programs on long term for those who lost or are about to lose the care from their biological families. In this moment, more than 1000 children benefits directly of the SOS Children’s Villages Romania support and more than 15000 children interacted with one of the SOS program. More information about SOS Children’s Villages Romania you can find on www.sos-satelecopiilor.ro or on the Facebook page – SOS Satele Copiilor Romania.